


His for the Taking

by DizzyDrea



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-25
Updated: 2012-06-25
Packaged: 2017-11-08 13:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/443736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He knows she's his for the taking, but he loves the chase too much to end it now. Companion piece to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/401993">Queen of Denial</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His for the Taking

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [numb3rs100](http://numb3rs100.livejournal.com/) Prompt #373 - Take
> 
> This is for my darling friend, mustangcandi. She's been having a rough time, and Ian/Nikki always cheers her up.
> 
> This is a companion piece to my story [Queen of Denial](http://archiveofourown.org/works/401993).
> 
> Disclaimer: Numb3rs belongs to The Barry Schindel Company, Scott Free Productions, CBS Television Studios and a lot of other people who aren't me. I'm doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

Ian doesn't just take what he wants; that's not his style.

It's what makes him suited to his profession. He enjoys the chase, loves the adrenaline rush he gets from tracking his target. There's something raw and primal in the challenge, in finding ways to outwit his opponent, finding the chinks in the armor that will lead to victory.

Chasing Nikki is no exception.

He can see it in the way she lights up whenever he enters a room. She'll school her expression into polite disinterest, but he's already seen all he needs to see. He doesn't think she's playing hard to get; Nikki's not that kind of woman, and if he thought this was all a game for her he'd walk away in a heartbeat.

But he can recognize genuine interest a mile away, and knows that's what burns in her eyes, even when she's trying to hide it. He never uses it against her; that just wouldn't be fair, and Ian is a fair man. That doesn't mean he isn't going to use every tool in his arsenal to win her over.

And each time he visits Los Angeles, he knows he's getting closer to his goal. Well-placed smiles, the occasional wink. He never flat-out asks her on a date, which he knows frustrates and relieves her at the same time. He'd find it funny if he wasn't completely serious.

He'll close the deal one day—sooner rather than later—because while he's a patient man, he's also used to getting what he wants. And what he wants is this smart, sassy woman he can't seem to forget. 

But he's content to take it slow. She's worth the extra time.

He knows she's his for the taking, but he loves the chase too much to end it now.

~Finis


End file.
